A workpiece transmitting apparatus for a press line is a device for lifting a workpiece and then inserting the lifted workpiece into a press device. Conventional workpiece transmitting apparatuses that are designed for steel workpieces include a vacuum cylinder and a magnetic belt conveyor. The vacuum cylinder is movable upward and downward, and is configured to adhere to a workpiece panel by forming a vacuum therewith.
If the vacuum cylinder descends to contact a workpiece panel, the workpiece panel adheres to the vacuum cylinder by a force generated by a vacuum of the vacuum cylinder. Then, the vacuum cylinder ascends while adhering to the workpiece panel, and the workpiece panel adheres to the magnetic belt conveyor by a magnetic force. If the magnetic belt conveyor operates in a state that the workpiece panel sticks to the magnetic belt conveyor, the workpiece panel is inserted into a device of a press line (e.g., a washing device).
Because in conventional workpiece transmitting apparatuses the workpiece panel is attached to the magnetic belt conveyor by a magnetic force, these conventional workpiece transmitting apparatuses can only be used for workpieces made of steel. Therefore, such a conventional workpiece transmitting apparatus cannot be used for transmitting aluminum workpieces.
Although apparatuses for transmitting non-steel material workpieces, such as aluminum workpieces, have been developed, such apparatuses have very complicated structures and are also very expensive.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art.